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October 23, 2014

Halloween Safety Tips

As a kid, I thought of only 2 things during the last half of September and the entire month of October: costumes and candy. All of my childhood autumns were spent using all of my mind's energy focusing on Halloween. Can you blame a kid? I had the opportunity to spend the night as whoever I wanted (a witch? A cheerleader? A vampire? A scarecrow?) and I got a ton of candy.It's, like, every kid's dream.The last thing on my mind was safety. Like, how lame, amiright? Strangers? Whatever. Candy laced with drugs? Who cares? Getting hit by a car in the dark streets? Not even an issue. As an adult, I'm realizing how important it is to keep kids safe on Halloween. I have my two little ducklings that I spent my life nurturing and protecting. And I know that, like me, they only concerned about the fun aspects of Halloween.

Leave the boring "staying safe and alive" crap to the adults.

Now that I am that adult, I wanted to share a few quick tips on sating safe on Halloween (as well as a plug for a product that will make every parent's Halloween safety dreams come true):

Know The Neighborhood

Stick to neighborhoods you know. That way, you know the people you are receiving treats from, as well as how to get around the neighborhood. If you don't know your neighbors well, make an effort to introduce yourself and get to know them a little better before the big day.

Follow Traffic Rules

It's a crazy night to drive as well as to walk on Halloween. More people than usual are straggling along the streets, and kids get so excited they forget that cars are still driving. Remind your kids to look both ways before crossing the street. If there are sidewalks available to you, use them. If there are no sidewalks, stay close to the curb and walk facing traffic to increase your visibility.

Check Your Candy

I know. It seems overly-paranoid. There was a huge scare campaign when I was growing up in the 80's about evil people harboring great hatred toward children and purposely lacing candy with harmful drugs. Did this ever actually happen? I have no idea. But I still have it in my head to check my candy before eating it. If you find any torn wrappers as you comb through your candy, toss it. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I also throw away any homemade treats. I know these goodies are a sweet gesture, but if they come from someone we don't know (or don't know well), I'm not sure what went into them.

(The paranoid side of me also has no idea if they are diabolic misanthropes hellbent on poisoning children. But I digress.)

Be Visible

Halloween does not begin, technically, until 6pm in our township. By October 31, that means it is DARK. And with the increased amount of people darting throughout the streets, being visible becomes of utmost importance. While drivers have a more heightened sense of awareness, we have to do our best to make our families VISIBLE. Wear reflective gear if you have it. Bring a flashlight. Or make use of the awesome products I'm about to tell you about from Night Ize.

So, I was just introduced to these amazing little lights. But I am SOLD. Nite Ize makes a variety of lighted products aimed at making your every day easier (and more visible!). The Nite Ize LED line "was created to keep you "seen & safe" in all conditions."

The ClipLits hang on a little carabiner clip, allowing you to clip a light anywhere: on your bag, on your keys, on your belt loop. I love the versatility of this!

There is also the SlapLit - an LED slap wrap. This band is essentially a lighted slap bracelet, which can wrap around your wrist, leg, bag - whatever! Turn on the light, and it can either glow or flash.

As a parent, I love the idea of using these not only on halloween, but anytime we are doing activities at dusk. We are after-dinner walkers (even in cooler weather), and I'd love to increase our visibility during the evening hours.

As a runner, though, this opens up a new door of possibilities! I often steer clear of earlier morning or evening runs, due to low visibility (especially as the days are getting shorter and shorter!). Having these lights that are water-resistant, bright and versatile would be awesome! And maybe even get my butt out of bed for an early-morning run!

It's important to stay safe in the dark, but most especially on Halloween when our little ones are having fun!